Hotel Stay Review: Hotel Grand View Okinawa

The hotel closest to Naha Airport

For this trip, I stayed at a hotel just one stop away from Naha Airport on the Yui Rail.

It is located right in front of Akamine Station, the next stop after Naha Airport Station.

The hotel I chose is situated directly across from the Yui Rail’s Akamine Station.

Being close to both the airport and the station makes it convenient for tourists to visit Kokusai Dori and other sightseeing spots in Okinawa without needing to rent a car.

At night, there is a taxi loop at Akamine Station where taxis wait for passengers, so you should be able to get anywhere even after the last Yui Rail train has departed.

Incidentally, the last train bound for Naha Airport is at 24:03.

As of October 1, 2019, the line has been extended to include the section between Ishimine Station and Tedako-Uranishi Station; the last train to Tedako-Uranishi Station is at 23:33.

It’s a huge help that the trains run quite late.

The rotary is spacious, too, making it easy to get in and out of taxis.

I arrived at night, so it was a bit hard to see clearly, but the palm trees in front of the hotel gave it a tropical resort vibe.

The blue lighting also created a cool, refreshing atmosphere.

The lobby where I checked in wasn’t particularly large; it had the feel of a typical business hotel.

The check-in process was handled efficiently, which I really appreciated since I was tired.

There is a coin-operated laundry on the ground floor, so long-term stays shouldn’t be an issue.

I also noticed groups of people who appeared to be staying for business.

Since I was traveling alone, I chose the cheapest room available.

And here is what the single room looks like.

The rooms face either west or east, but I would definitely recommend the east-facing ones.

If you choose an east-facing room, the airport and the sea spread out right before your eyes.

Although the Self-Defense Force grounds lie between the building and the airport, there are hardly any tall structures, so the view remains excellent.

You can also see Senagajima Island to the left.

If you stay in an east-facing room, you’ll enjoy a “Grand View” that truly lives up to the name!

From the window, you can even see airplanes taking off and landing in the distance.

Thanks to the solid window glazing, there is no noise disturbance from the aircraft.

The building itself isn’t particularly new, and the facilities aren’t extensive, but considering the location, views, and price, I think it is a very good hotel.

The room isn’t very large, but it comes with a pajama set (top and bottom), and the amenities are perfectly adequate.

The bathroom is no different from that of a typical business hotel, but the shampoo and conditioner are the reliable TSUBAKI brand.

Here are the amenities, such as toothbrushes.

They are perfectly adequate.

The bathtub was also on the deeper side, which was just to my liking.

The refrigerator wasn’t large, but it was handy for keeping a few drinks chilled.

Oh, and something I really appreciated—without even realizing it beforehand—was the deodorizing spray provided in the room.

It was a big plus for me personally to be able to freshen up my clothes after picking up food odors while out for dinner.

It seems there aren’t vending machines on every floor; apparently, there is one located on the 4th floor (though I didn’t use it myself).

I didn’t see any convenience stores near the hotel, so having a vending machine available is a nice plus.

Also, they sold items at the front desk—primarily undergarments—for a fee.

 

Dinner will be at the restaurant in front of the hotel.

So, before dinner, I visited a place called Umikaji Terrace, but after a rather pointless outing—simply going there and coming straight back—I returned to the hotel and had dinner.

Here is a look at my visit to Umikaji Terrace.

Related Article: Hotel Stay Review: Hotel Grand View Okinawa

There appear to be Okinawan and Italian restaurants within a five-minute walk of the hotel, but I decided to step into the small izakaya right in front of it instead.

「島心 しまぐくる」The shop is called “Shimagukuru.”

The owner and two staff members were there; they were all entertaining to talk to, and the food served was not only hearty but absolutely exquisite.

I’ll definitely be coming back here, and I highly recommend giving it a try!

島心 しまぐくる Shimagukuru (Island Heart)

Address: 2-3-1 Akamine, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture 901-0154

TEL：098-858-3622

Business Hours：18：00~00：00　（Sunday OFF）

Highlights: The owner was incredibly friendly, and we had a great time chatting. The food prepared by the staff was delicious—my personal favorites were the generous serving of sashimi and the bitter melon tempura. The sashimi was fresh and tasty, while the bitter melon had a wonderful, tender texture.

Click here for the Tabelog page for “Shimagukuru.”

I will have breakfast at the hotel’s breakfast venue.

The breakfast area is on the first floor.

I don’t think there was a huge variety of dishes.

They offered Okinawan local cuisine and a continental breakfast, but I was drawn to the curry, so I had that instead.

The curry was delicious!

My impressions from actually staying there

It was incredibly convenient being so close to the airport.

I really loved the view from the room.

As I mentioned earlier, since Senagajima is nearby, staying here and visiting the island during the day—perhaps for lunch and some sightseeing—would be a great idea.

It had a stylish vibe and looked really nice.

They had laundry facilities available, which I thought would be a huge plus for tourists on long stays.

It would be absolutely perfect if they had a large communal bath, too!

ホテルグランビュー沖縄　　Hotel Grand View Okinawa

Address: 2-3-2 Akamine, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture 901-0154

TEL：098-859-4890

Nearest Station：赤嶺駅 (Akamine Station)

Estimated rates: It might exceed 13,000 yen for this coming weekend. It’s around 10,000 yen for a weekend a month from now. For dates further out, there is a possibility of staying for somewhere in the 6,000 to 7,000 yen range.

Check Room Availability of Hotel Grand View Okinawa